I was having a conversation with an out-of-state friend recently, in which she said, “I really want to try this restaurant near my house, but I have no one to go with.” “Why don’t you just go by yourself then?” I replied. She let out a nervous laugh.

“I don’t want to look stupid.”

I encouraged my friend to try it anyways, but the conversation left me thinking. Personally, I like doing things alone. It never really enters my train of thought that I might look silly or feel lonely exploring the world by myself. In the past, I’ve been to concerts, restaurants, parties, and even on international trips on my own. Though, while I usually enjoy alone time, I can empathize with the pangs of nervousness that feeling like an outsider can bring.

What do you think? Would you ever eat (or do other group-oriented activities) by yourself? Is there a certain point where you’d draw the line? Do you think this has anything to do with introversion vs. extroversion? And if you prefer not to do certain things by yourself, what is your particular reasoning?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a comment and let’s get the discussion going! 🙂

Photo via realsmiley / Flickr CC